eti base code - english_0

8/8/2019 ETI Base Code - English_0

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The ETI Base Code

1. Employment is freely chosen

1.1 There is no forced, bonded or involuntary prison labour.

1.2 Workers are not required to lodge "deposits" or their identity papers

with their employer and are free to leave their employer after

reasonable notice.

2. Freedom of association and the right to collective bargainingare respected

2.1 Workers, without distinction, have the right to join or form trade

unions of their own choosing and to bargain collectively.

2.2 The employer adopts an open attitude towards the activities of trade

unions and their organisational activities.

2.3 Workers representatives are not discriminated against and have

access to carry out their representative functions in the workplace.

2.4 Where the right to freedom of association and collective bargaining

is restricted under law, the employer facilitates, and does not hinder,

the development of parallel means for independent and free

association and bargaining.

3. Working conditions are safe and hygienic

3.1 A safe and hygienic working environment shall be provided, bearing in

mind the prevailing knowledge of the industry and of any specific

hazards. Adequate steps shall be taken to prevent accidents and

injury to health arising out of, associated with, or occurring in the

course of work, by minimising, so far as is reasonably practicable, the

causes of hazards inherent in the working environment.

3.2 Workers shall receive regular and recorded health and safety training,

and such training shall be repeated for new or reassigned workers.

3.3 Access to clean toilet facilities and to potable water, and, ifappropriate, sanitary facilities for food storage shall be provided.


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3.4 Accommodation, where provided, shall be clean, safe, and meet the

basic needs of the workers.

3.5 The company observing the code shall assign responsibility for health

and safety to a senior management representative.

4. Child labour shall not be used

4.1 There shall be no new recruitment of child labour.

4.2 Companies shall develop or participate in and contribute to policies

and programmes which provide for the transition of any child found to

be performing child labour to enable her or him to attend and remain

in quality education until no longer a child; child and child labour

being defined in the appendices.

4.3 Children and young persons under 18 shall not be employed at night

or in hazardous conditions.

4.4 These policies and procedures shall conform to the provisions of the

relevant ILO standards.

5. Living wages are paid

5.1 Wages and benefits paid for a standard working week meet, at a

minimum, national legal standards or industry benchmark standards,whichever is higher. In any event wages should always be enough to

meet basic needs and to provide some discretionary income.

5.2 All workers shall be provided with written and understandable

Information about their employment conditions in respect to wages

before they enter employment and about the particulars of their

wages for the pay period concerned each time that they are paid.

5.3 Deductions from wages as a disciplinary measure shall not be

permitted nor shall any deductions from wages not provided for by

national law be permitted without the expressed permission of the

worker concerned. All disciplinary measures should be recorded.

6. Working hours are not excessive

6.1 Working hours comply with national laws and benchmark industry

standards, whichever affords greater protection.

6.2 In any event, workers shall not on a regular basis be required to work

in excess of 48 hours per week and shall be provided with at least one


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day off for every 7 day period on average. Overtime shall be voluntary,

shall not exceed 12 hours per week, shall not be demanded on a

regular basis and shall always be compensated at a premium rate.

7. No discrimination is practised7.1 There is no discrimination in hiring, compensation, access to training,

promotion, termination or retirement based on race, caste, national

origin, religion, age, disability, gender, marital status, sexual

orientation, union membership or political affiliation.

8. Regular employment is provided

8.1 To every extent possible work performed must be on the basis of

recognised employment relationship established through national law

and practice.

8.2 Obligations to employees under labour or social security laws and

regulations arising from the regular employment relationship shall not

be avoided through the use of labour-only contracting, sub-

contracting, or home-working arrangements, or through

apprenticeship schemes where there is no real intent to impart skills

or provide regular employment, nor shall any such obligations be

avoided through the excessive use of fixed-term contracts ofemployment.

9. No harsh or inhumane treatment is allowed

9.1 Physical abuse or discipline, the threat of physical abuse, sexual or

other harassment and verbal abuse or other forms of intimidation

shall be prohibited.

The provisions of this code constitute minimum and not maximum standards, and thiscode should not be used to prevent companies from exceeding these standards.Companies applying this code are expected to comply with national and otherapplicable law and, where the provisions of law and this Base Code address thesame subject, to apply that provision which affords the greater protection.

Note: We have made every effort to ensure that the translations of the ETI Base Code and

Principles of Implementation are as complete and accurate as possible. However, please notethat in both cases it is the English language documents which should be treated as the officialversions.

eti base code - english_0

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